Labour party takes steps to control immigration within 100 days

Published on : 29 April, 2015 By Imran Choudhury

Ed Miliband

THE Labour party has set out “credible and concrete” steps to control immigration within a 100 days of being in office, Ed Miliband has said.

The Labour leader pledged to recruit an extra 1,000 border staff, introduce full exit checks and stop serious criminals coming to the UK. He made the comments while he was on the campaign trail in Barry, Wales on Tuesday (28).

He challenged conservative leader David Cameron to match his pledges, accusing him of “broken promises”.

While Miliband promised to never “do anything to denigrate or demean the contribution of people who have come to this country” he said Labour had changed its approach under his leadership and would “deal with people’s concerns” about the impact of immigration on wages and public services.

He said he will publish an Immigration Bill in the next government’s first Queen’s speech “to rebuild public trust, strengthen borders, restore contribution, champion integration and end the exploitation that undercuts wages.”

“Immigration can benefit Britain and, as the son of two refugees myself, I will never do anything to denigrate or demean the contribution people who have come to this country have made,” said Miliband.

“David Cameron once promised to cut net immigration to tens of thousands – and told us to kick him out of office if he didn’t deliver. But net migration rose to 298,000 last year, almost exactly three times higher than he promised.

“Nothing damages people’s faith in politics more than broken promises like that - or those he is still making today.

“I will only make promises I can keep. I won’t offer false targets or seek to exploit concerns with the politics of fear. Instead, I am offering clear, credible and concrete ways of making a real difference.

“Immigration is too important an issue for our country to be abandoned by the Prime Minister so it can be exploited by Nigel Farage.”